The Week Ahead
Saturday 9nd February until Saturday 16th February
General Events
The Hollywood Ball on Saturday 9th February is "a must not miss event" or you will be very sorry! A few tickets are still available so act NOW and contact Reena Price , Ludford House, Canon Hill Drive, Bray, Berks SL6 2EU. Tel: 01628 622355 Fax: 01628 632948. Mobile: 07778 205 112.
On Sunday 10th February, at 8:00 p.m. there is a full school Service of the Word at which the preacher is Mark Boobbyer from the Common Room. Parents of the Anglesey are cordially invited.
Also on Sunday 10th February at 8:00 p.m the Benson are holding a Cultural Event in the Old Gym to which the Benson families have already been invited. Anyone else is welcome to attend but is asked to contact Iain Henderson in advance.
On Friday 15th February Hilary Davan Wetton, conductor of Wellington College Sinfonia, invites you to a Classical Concert at 8:00 pm. in the Old Gym. The Sinfonia will be playing Haydn's Symphony No.88 and Mozart's Violin Concerto in A major K.219, featuring Sabina Virtosu as violin soloist. It would be lovely to see a warm and appreciative audience on this occasion - the pupils are putting in a lot of extra rehearsal time to ensure that they give an exciting performance. No tickets required.
On Saturday 16th February we are holding the Fifth Form parental conference beginning at 11:15 a.m. in the Chapel. Lunch available for the Fifth Form and parents from 1:30 p.m. in the Dining Hall. The rest of the school finishes at 11:50 a.m. Full details can be found here. A representative of ISCO (the Independent School's Careers Organisation) will be available in the Old Gym at the same time as the interviews with teachers. Parents, please use this opportunity to talk to him about your child's Futurewise profile (bring the report with you if you like) or any other aspects of the scheme, careers, university courses, etc. No appointments are necessary.
As mentioned above the Exeat starts at 11:50 a.m. on Saturday 16th February - unless your son or daughter is in the fifth Form. We look forward to welcoming all the boarders back by 9:15 p.m. on Sunday 24th February rested and looking forward to the last four weeks of the term!
All parents should have received a questionnaire with the Master's Beginning of Term letter. This questionnaire is part of the School Inspection process. The more the inspector gets, the more helpful it is so if you haven't already done so could you fill it in and send it back to Roger Auger ( clearly marked School Questionnaire). Many thanks to the many parents who have already returned them. A copy can be found on the intranet if you have lost your original. The closing date has in theory now passed but any received by the Exeat will still be passed on.
Increasingly we are putting information for parents on the school intranet set. In particular the handbook for pupils with information for both pupils and parents is now electronic and can be found under the section of the intranet called info@community. Some parents have had problems logging on to the intranet. You do need to click on the log -in link at the top right of the page. The general parents' username is COLLEGE\victoria (if you are offered three boxes COLLEGE is the domain and victoria is the username). The general parents' password is the name of the O.W. on the plaque by the Round Square noticeboard at Queen's Court and must be entered in capitals. Hopefully your son or daughter can supply that information. If not, then ask me! There is information on the intranet to help you and this can be found at http://intranet.wellingtoncollege.org.uk/login_help.htm
Sport
On Saturday 9th February the hockey teams play Tonbridge, the netball teams play Cranleigh and the football teams play Christ's Hospital. The shooting team also take on R.G.S. Guildford and the basketball teams travel to Haileybury.
On Wednesday 13th February, the rugby junior colts side will play Berkshire Under 15's at Abbey Reading RFC at 7:30 p.m. This is one of a series of warm up games prior to their Semi Final in the Daily Mail Cup against Oundle on Saturday March 15th.
In the run-up to the Exeat ,it is a quiet sporting week dominated by house sport. That said on Thursday 14th February the netball and basketball teams take on Marlborough whilst the squash team play Winchester (the calendared golf match has been cancelled)
All results can be found on the internet: Hockey; Netball; Football.
The Director of Sport would like to reiterate that pupils having a ticket for the Six Nations is not a reason for missing Saturday matches and indeed that the only valid reason to miss a match is for an important family commitment. In this instance three weeks' notice should be given. It is unfair on other pupils in the team if the teams are constantly in a state of flux.
Further Ahead
On Monday 25th February in Great School, 7:30 for 8:00 p.m., we welcome parents and pupils to hear Johnson Beharry, VC of the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment. On 18th March 2005, Johnson became the first living recipient for nearly forty years of our highest award for valour under enemy fire - for saving the lives of thirty members of his unit during two ambushes in Al-Asmara, Iraq, in 2004. His book, Barefoot Soldier will be available for sale (cash and cheque sales only). Hardbacks at £15.00 a copy and Paperbacks retail at £6.50.
On Monday 3rd March at 7:30 p.m.for 8:00 p.m. in the Driver Lecture Room there is a chance for parents and pupils to hear a lecture from Moazzam Begg. The title is hopefully self-explanatory - "Enemy Combatant: My Imprisonment at Guantánamo, Bagram, and Kandahar. The searing story of one man's years inside the notorious American prison - and his Kafkaesque struggle to clear his name."
This term's meeting of the Parent's Forum is on Wednesday 5th March and any questions should be sent to your year group representative by Monday 25th February. Contact details for the forum can be found here. This is an intranet page (and is part of the handbook) and you will need to log on to the intranet to see it. Details are below as to how to do this.
The school musical Les Miserables school edition is on the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th March at 7:30 p.m. in the Theatre. Tickets for this performance cost £2.50 for students and £5.00 for adults and can be purchased in person at the Theatre office between 8: 00a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Monday to Friday. Tickets for adults and those outside Wellington can be reserved by an email to jwb@wellingtoncollege.org.uk and then paid for by cheque. Please note that tickets must be paid for before the date of the performance.
On Thursday 6th March we take a group of a dozen pupils, boys and girls, to the British Inter School Ski Challenge, at les Houches near Chamonix. We'll be competing against both individuals and schools, and some of the best juniors in the UK will be there. The main part of the competition will consist of Slalom on Monday 10th and a Grand Slalom on Tue 11th. We hope a few parents will be able to come along to watch the event or to help out.
On Sunday March 9th in the Sports Hall from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. there is the GAP Fair. We encourage L6th and U6th form pupils to come along with parents as they return from the weekend leave. Also siblings and friends from outside Wellington are most welcome.
On Sunday 16th March Simon Williamson will conduct the Mozart Requiem in the Sports Hall at 7:30 p.m. - Crowthorne Choral Society will be joined by Wellington College Chorus to perform this inspirational choral work with Chameleon Arts Orchestra. Also on the programme, Claire Sledd(C) will perform the wonderful Sibelius Violin Concerto. Tickets can be obtained from Reception or the Music School. £10 per ticket (£2 for students)
Nick Diver would like to remind parents that places for the Third Form trip to the First World War Battlefields from 20th to 22nd March 2008 are going very quickly and are nearly over-subscribed. Anybody who would like their son or daughter to go on the trip, or who would simply like more information, should email him as soon as possible.
Places on the Master's trenches trip from the 9th to the 11th May are in keen demand again, and interested parents should contact Tarla Woolhouse at once. This trip is especially recommended for those who have always thought of going to the trenches at some point, or those who love the poetry, but have never got around to going. Knowing other parents is inessential: meeting new parents and making friends is one of the highlights of these trips.
There will be a Roman Catholic Confirmation in Crowthorne on Friday 6th June 2008 at 8:00 p.m. and classes will start in March. If you wish your child to be confirmed please e mail Dr Boscher. Bishop Crispian, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Portsmouth has agreed to celebrate Confirmation here at Wellington.
The Geography Department is running its 15th annual LVIth Field Trip to Serre Chevalier in the French Alps in the summer, from the 29th June to the 4th July. Please could parents of LVIth Geographers send back the relevant forms to Murray Fowler as soon as possible.
